Abstract
Qatar reported an internet penetration rate of 99.0% in 2024 with 2.7 million internet users, indicating almost universal access to internet services. Online learning is now widespread in Qatar Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, student learning outcomes and student behaviours in virtual environments–such as collaboration, privacy and confidentiality, cooperation, and affective, cognitive and behavioural engagement–have been little studied in the Muslim-majority context. The authors conducted a multi-site national mixed-methods research project from 2020-2024 to understand online behaviours among HEI students in Qatar in virtual learning environments. The object of the translational research was to transfer knowledge of the patterns of student online behaviours into best practices pedagogy in Muslim-Majority countries. Findings from this study were applied to a national training workshop for online instructors in 2023. The researchers conducted qualitative analysis of expert opinion, questionnaires, and in-depth focus groups of both faculty and students in Qatar HEIs (i.e. 22 student groups, n=95). Results were that: 1) synchronous video-conferenced class rooms were the norm, with Learning Management Systems as the primary software tool; 2) privacy ethics were of great concern to both faculty and students (specifically women) due to Islamic modesty norms; 3) camera policies in videoconferenced classrooms impacted student learning and behaviours; 4) studying at home presented novel learning challenges due to Gulf gendered interior domestic spaces; 5) covering of women (hijab) and reconfiguring of the home space to accommodate education were also frequently cited themes in the qualitative data.
Presenters
Alan S. WeberProfessor, Premedical, WCM-Q, Ar Rayyan, Qatar Byrad Yyelland
VCUarts Qatar Robert Bianchi
Associate Professor of English, Liberal Arts and Sciences, VCUarts Qatar, Qatar
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Considering Digital Pedagogies
KEYWORDS
Virtual Learning, Muslim-majority Countries, Qatar, Virtual Privacy
